Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, formerly known as Lycopersicon esculentum) is a plant of the Solanaceae or nightshade family. It is a short-lived perennial plant, grown as an annual plant, and a close relative of the potato. The fruit (i.e. the tomato) is an edible, brightly coloured (usually red, from the pigment lycopene) berry, 1-2 cm diameter in wild plants, commonly much larger in cultivated forms. The plant is now grown worldwide for its edible fruits, which are major fresh market vegetables worldwide.
During the last decades, tomato breeding was mainly focused on yield, disease tolerance, and fruit quality aspects such as uniform ripening and taste. Yield improvements have been achieved due to new production methods, improved pest management and varieties that are better suited for new production methods, but the gains in yield become smaller. New varieties with 5 or 15 fruits more per plant gave a yield increase of 2-4%.
As the world population continues to grow, the demand for fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, is ever increasing worldwide. Thus, a continuing need exists for means and methods for improving yield of tomatoes.